The Myth Behind the Constellation Hydrus

Hydrus, “The Water Snake”, is one of the 12 constellations introduced by navigators Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman, two sixteenth-century Dutchman who observed the southern skies. It is another of their creations based on animals they saw on their travels. Hydrus is a male water snake, while Hydra would be a female water snake.